[Elecraft] Took Some Lightning Damage Last Night

[Bob McGraw K4TAX]

And that rule on disconnect everything........includes not only 
antennas, but any ground path to the outside world.

Remember, all lightning protection MUST be implemented outside of the 
structure.  AND all driven grounds MUST be bonded together on the 
outside of the structure.  This is per NEC.      Failure to do this last 
step will produce a voltage between any 2 or more ground points due to 
resistance of the earth and the current flowing through the earth from a 
nearby strike.  It is an I x R thing. Do the math.    Even if antennas 
are disconnected and equipment is off, the path of least resistance is 
followed and that could be through your ground system and equipment.

73

Bob, K4TAX


On 11/6/2017 10:54 AM, Buck wrote:
> An interesting factoid - the 12v rail on the K3 finals is powered even 
> when you turn the radio off.  Thus, a power spike on the mains could 
> get into the radio.
>
> Best practice is to disconnect everything when not in use.
>
> Buck, k4ia
> Honor Roll
> 8BDXCC
> EasyWayHamBooks.com
>
> On 11/6/2017 10:59 AM, Chuck Milam, N9KY wrote:
>> Hi All:
>>
>> It looks like we took an EMP hit at home from nearby lightning just last
>> night. The XYL was up with the baby and said the whole house lit up
>> sometime after midnight.  So far, it appears I've lost a TV, laser 
>> printer,
>> the shack PC, all the outdoor security cameras, and my internet service.
>>
>> As for radio gear, my Astron VS-35M power supply was showing low voltage
>> output, but a power recycle corrected that. The Elecraft K3 was actually
>> powered off and disconnected from the antennas, but it was throwing 
>> errors
>> when I powered it up. I assume that was from the connection to the
>> computer.  I did a soft reset and it seems to have recovered, but I 
>> need to
>> do more thorough testing.  The KX3 was only connected to power and was
>> powered off, and it seems to be OK so far.
>>
>> The other ham radios seem to be OK, except for an old 1990s-era Radio 
>> Shack
>> scanner that likely can't be replaced. I may crack that one open and 
>> see if
>> there's something obvious that can be repaired.
>>
>> Any advice for what other checks I should perform on my house and 
>> equipment
>> (especially my K3 and KX3) to check for hidden gremlins before I start
>> calling the insurance companies and getting the claims process rolling?
>>
>> ---
>> Chuck Milam, N9KY
>> N9KY at arrl.net
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